Game Night

We all enjoy a good game; whether it is with either friends or by ourselves, a game brings out a lot of fun in all of us. But what if the game we are playing suddenly takes a dark turn? That's where the movie “Game Night” comes into play- no pun intended. This is a movie where the concept of throwing a game can take a deadly turn for the worse. Sure, there are some problems with the film in general, but for the most part, the movie is certainly entertaining. “Game Night” takes an interesting and compelling idea, and surprises you all the way through.

The story follows a couple named Max and Annie (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams respectively) who are both competitive at gaming. More specifically, board games and other exciting adventures. Once a week, Max and Annie get a bunch of friends together to have a fun game night. That all changes when Max's brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) comes into town and wants to play, too. However, Brooks wants to spice things up a bit, and makes the next game night a sort of murder mystery. What Max, Annie, and their friends do not realize, that during this game night, things are not what they seem. What have they gotten themselves into?

“Game Night” is a hilarious comedy that is just a little piece of escapism. Everything in this movie is a blast from beginning to end, and there is a lot of things good with the film in general.

For instance, the humor works, as there is quite a lot of jokes- both physically and mentally- that do work. One has to see the film in order to get a good laugh from everything that is happening. It seems like every other minute, a joke is thrown your way, and it still gets a laugh out of you.

Another plus with the humor is with the actors. Bateman and McAdams have good chemistry, and the rest of the supporting cast does a very good job with what they are given. From Billy Magnussen and Sharon Horgan, to Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, and Jesse Plemons, all of whom deliver good performances with their given characters. Especially from Plemons, who plays a rather unsettling character, that definitely puts a smile on your face. You don't know what he's going to do next, and that makes it all the more hilarious.

This could also be attributed to the direction from both John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who balances out the comedy and the darkness of the movie perfectly. “Game Night” finds a perfect balance- something that comedies don't do that often.

The pacing provided is quick and moving; the necessity of a comedy. And, the action never slows down, keeping the viewer engaged at all times. It keeps the viewer enticed into what's going on, and laughing all the way.

On the technical side, the sound is quite good as you can hear a lot of real violent content that is happening. Yes, this movie can get a little graphic, but in a good way. And the music makes your ears wishing this was a soundtrack from the 1980s.

Now onto the complaints.

For starters, the story does get a little convoluted, especially after the first act of the movie. But this is only a minor nitpick, as the rest of the film is a lot of fun.

Another complaint is the fact that while the supporting cast is good, most of are pushed off to the side in favor Bateman and McAdams. Especially Magnussen, who plays the idiot of the group, and it gets old rather quickly.

In conclusion, while “Game Night” might not be the perfect film that will win everyone over, it will make you play long enough to realize that this is just plain fun. So, who's up for another round?